Manchester United new crop of youngsters must be prepared for Class of '92 comparisons says Gary Pallister

Manchester United’s emerging youngsters have been warned they must embrace
comparisons to the club’s ‘golden generation’ of David Beckham, Paul
Scholes, Nicky Butt and the Neville brothers if they are to realise the
potential displayed to destructive effect during Monday’s 3-0 dismantling of
Tottenham.

Top talent: Danny Welbeck played a pivotal role in helping United defeat Spurs on Monday nightPhoto: GETTY IMAGES

Despite fielding his second-youngest Premier League starting XI against Spurs – the average age of the United team was 23.1 years – Sir Alex Ferguson saw the likes of Phil Jones (19), Danny Welbeck (20), Chris Smalling (21) and Tom Cleverley (22) play pivotal roles in the victory against Harry Redknapp’s team.

The performance of United's youngsters evoked memories of the youthful exuberance of the club’s feted Class of 92, who were thrust into the first-team picture by Ferguson following the controversial sales of Mark Hughes, Andrei Kanchelskis and Paul Ince in the summer of 1995.

And former United defender Gary Pallister, who played alongside the ‘golden generation’ in the mid-1990s, insists that Ferguson’s latest young talents are capable of emulating the successes of the illustrious predecessors.

“I sat with Bryan Robson at Old Trafford on Monday night watching the Spurs game,” Pallister said. “It was impossible to avoid comparisons between this group of lads and the kids I played alongside at United.

“Like it or not, players like Danny Welbeck, Tom Cleverley, Phil Jones and Chris Smalling are going to be bracketed alongside the Class of 92, but that is part of the package and they will have to deal with it.

“Beckham, Butt, Scholes and the Nevilles had to live with the pressure of being compared to the Busby Babes and they thrived on it.

“Back in 1995, we saw Hughes, Kanchelskis and Ince leave the club and, although we all knew the kids were a talented bunch, the gut feeling among the senior pros was that it would be at least a couple of seasons before we won the title again.

“Losing at Aston Villa on the opening day of the season appeared to bear that out, but it was a whack on the chin, the young lads took it and they matured so quickly that we ended up winning the Double.”

While Welbeck and Cleverley have been nurtured at Old Trafford since their early-teens, Jones and Smalling have been recruited from Blackburn and Fulham respectively.

Jones, at 19, was the youngest player on the pitch on Monday, but Pallister believes that the England Under-21 defender showed signs that he will become a crucial figure for United in the coming years.

“For me, the one who really stood out was Jones.” Pallister said. “Robbo and I were just purring over him and the maturity of the kid on his home debut.

“Playing at Old Trafford can be a daunting experience, but he was unfazed by his surroundings and, at 19, it was so impressive to see him directing the play from the centre of defence.

“He bossed the ball, was strong in the tackle and made some terrific interceptions. It looked as though he had been playing for United all his life.

“You cannot go overboard with young players because they still have plenty to learn, but there is no doubt that Jones is going to be a really important player for United.”

Pallister added: “Welbeck is another who impressed me. His vision to set up Anderson with a back-flick for United’s second goal was exquisite and I felt he shone alongside Wayne Rooney.

“Cleverley’s cross for Welbeck’s goal was Beckham-esque due to the accuracy and power that he was able to generate and that was another highlight.

“Both Welbeck and Cleverley are clearly benefiting from Sir Alex’s decision to send them on loan to Sunderland Wigan respectively last season and they are now earning their selection for the team on merit.”

With the likes of the Da Silva twins and Mexican forward Javier Hernandez yet to find full fitness this season, and talents such as Ravel Morrison and Paul Pogba tipped to emerge from the reserves this season, United’s future appears rooted in youth.

But Pallister insists that Ferguson will be mindful of weaving experience with youthful promise.

He said: “It’s not all about the kids. When I was playing alongside the kids in the 1990s, we had the experience of myself, Steve Bruce, Eric Cantona, Peter Schmeichel, Brian McClair and Denis Irwin.

“Now, the role of passing on experience will be played by the likes of Rooney, Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic and Ryan Giggs.

"They have all won major trophies and experienced everything at United and their influence will be really important for the young lads coming through.”